4 ms·

"Since first launch, though, Canadians haven’t been unanimously proud of the Canadarm. In 1995, Royal Canadian Air Farce poked fun at it with a sketch about one

by giarc 3y ago

"Since first launch, though, Canadians haven’t been unanimously proud of the Canadarm. In 1995, Royal Canadian Air Farce poked fun at it with a sketch about one breaking." The author, although Canadian, is missing Canadian culture here. Air Farce (a satarical Canadian news show) poking fun at something Canadian does mean we are proud of it. That's Canadian, self deprecating humour, poking fun at ourselves. Growing up in Canada, anytime space was mentioned, the Canadarm was front and centre. We are very proud of our contributions.

mig39 3y ago
Yeah, I think we're actually proud of stuff that was lampooned on Air Farce. That's the whole point of it. Remember the Chicken Cannon?
- icepat 3y ago
  It's on the back of the $5 note (the arm that is, not Air Farce). I've only ever heard it discussed in positive terms. I have no idea how a single sketch was extrapolated to "not all Canadians are proud of it". Not a very well thought out take.
  - scj 3y ago
    From the episode synopsis, it's a Mike from Canmore sketch... Next up from the walrus: An expose of strange comments from the Honourable Member of Parliament for Kicking Horse Pass.
  - dblohm7 3y ago
    You beat me to it: "Liar! There's no Chicken Cannon on the $5 note!" (there should be, though)
dghughes 3y ago
Dozens of former Avro Air employees got jobs at NASA and were key to the Apollo program too. Owen Maynard probably being the highest profile but there may be others. He was involved in the engineering of the Lunar Module aka LEM. https://historycollection.jsc.nasa.gov/JSCHistoryPortal/history/oral_histories/MaynardOE/MaynardOE_4-21-99.htm https://historycollection.jsc.nasa.gov/JSCHistoryPortal/hist...
- sho_hn 3y ago
  "Apollo" by Murray and Cox is a wonderful book on the engineering history of Apollo that covers this in some detail. One of the best popular engineering (and engineering management) books I've ever read, along with other HN favorites like Ignition!, Soul of a New Machine, Masters of Doom, etc. Highly recommended.
vincent-manis 3y ago
I remember the first time I visited the Kennedy Space Center, some twenty years ago. There was a mockup of a Shuttle, which we could walk through. When the Canadarm mockup came into view, I teared up. People sometimes mistake our self-deprecation for a lack of pride. They are incorrect.

by giarc 3y ago

mig39 3y ago

Yeah, I think we're actually proud of stuff that was lampooned on Air Farce. That's the whole point of it. Remember the Chicken Cannon?

icepat 3y ago
It's on the back of the $5 note (the arm that is, not Air Farce). I've only ever heard it discussed in positive terms. I have no idea how a single sketch was extrapolated to "not all Canadians are proud of it". Not a very well thought out take.
- scj 3y ago
  From the episode synopsis, it's a Mike from Canmore sketch... Next up from the walrus: An expose of strange comments from the Honourable Member of Parliament for Kicking Horse Pass.
- dblohm7 3y ago
  You beat me to it: "Liar! There's no Chicken Cannon on the $5 note!" (there should be, though)

dghughes 3y ago

Dozens of former Avro Air employees got jobs at NASA and were key to the Apollo program too. Owen Maynard probably being the highest profile but there may be others. He was involved in the engineering of the Lunar Module aka LEM. https://historycollection.jsc.nasa.gov/JSCHistoryPortal/history/oral_histories/MaynardOE/MaynardOE_4-21-99.htm https://historycollection.jsc.nasa.gov/JSCHistoryPortal/hist...

sho_hn 3y ago
"Apollo" by Murray and Cox is a wonderful book on the engineering history of Apollo that covers this in some detail. One of the best popular engineering (and engineering management) books I've ever read, along with other HN favorites like Ignition!, Soul of a New Machine, Masters of Doom, etc. Highly recommended.

vincent-manis 3y ago

I remember the first time I visited the Kennedy Space Center, some twenty years ago. There was a mockup of a Shuttle, which we could walk through. When the Canadarm mockup came into view, I teared up. People sometimes mistake our self-deprecation for a lack of pride. They are incorrect.